Sunday, April 15, 2012

Rifles of the Old World: The 1893 and 1895 Mausers

Modern firearms manufacturing is an amazing thing. Fancy processes like metal injection molding, investment casting, and computer numerical controlled machining have allowed manufacturers to mass-produce high quality firearms. High strength, space-age polymer materials have become all the rage, replacing parts that were previously made of expensive metal or wood. These manufacturing processes have helped keep prices relatively low, allowing even the most frugal customer access to hunting and self-defense weapons. Cheap, available, reliable, effective...yes, there’s much to be admired about these processes and materials.﻿

﻿Now that that’s out of the way, let me just say that most modern guns bore me to tears. Don't get me wrong:I am all for progress and advancing technology.But, when I pick up a GLOCK (which is the correct way to spell it, with all caps), wonderful tool and reliable firearm though it is, I just can’t help but feel that it’s missing…..something. One hundred years ago, CNC machines didn’t exist, metal was forged rather than injection-molded, and the only ‘polymer’ on the scene was a very new, early type of brittle plastic called Bakelite.Manufacturing a firearm meant the investment of an enormous number of man hours. Parts were laboriously made, hand-fitted, and finished. ﻿ There just wasn't another way of doing things back then.

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Gun shops being bombarded with GLOCKs. I'm pretty sure this is how authorized resellers get their shipments.

﻿﻿The late 19th century and early 20th century was an exciting time in firearms development. The invention of smokeless gun powder, and the weapons and cartridges that used it were pivotal. The giant clouds of smoke that enveloped entire regiments and made command and control difficult disappeared, much to the relief of the generals.More importantly, though, smokeless powder generated higher pressures, which meant increased velocity, which in turn meant a flatter trajectory and increased effective range. Instead of relying on large caliber, heavy projectiles moving at relatively slow speeds, smokeless powder allowed for the first “small bore” cartridges with lighter bullets moving upwards of 2,000 fps. The Spaniards illustrated this advantage (along with others) in the battle of San Juan Hill, where a mere 760 soldiers inflicted 5:1 casualties against a force of 15,000 Americans armed with inferior weapons, including single shot blackpowder rifles and the obsolete-as-issued Krag-Jorgensen. The Americans won a costly victory (thanks in part to Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders) and learned an important lesson the hard way, but they learned it well…well enough that they decided to commission a new military rifle and cartridge. More on that in a later entry.

Teddy "Rough Rider" Roosevelt. Enough said.

Another astounding development was the bolt-action repeating rifle. The 1893 Mauser rifles used by the Spaniards were arguably the finest infantry rifles of their day. The brainchild of Paul Mauser, the Model 1893 sported a double column, internal five round magazine. Unlike previous Mauser designs, this double column magazine was flush with the bottom of the rifle, which contributed to sleek lines and easy handling. The two-piece bolt and non-rotating claw extractor allowed controlled feeding (the extractor maintained positive control of the cartridge through the chambering, firing, and unloading process, a feature that improved reliability). A guide was machined into the top of the receiver that allowed the entire magazine to be reloaded in a second with five round stripper clips, a significant advantage over the Americans' Krags.

Like so.

The action cocked on closing and was as slick as goose shit. These features allowed a decently-trained soldier to fire 40 rounds of aimed fire per minute without breaking a sweat. Except for maybe in the hot, humid swamps of Cuba.

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Spanish soldiers as depicted in the film "Rough Riders" with their Mauser rifles

The 1893 Mauser fired a new, smokeless, rimless cartridge designated as the 7 x 57mm Mauser (hereto known as the 7mm Mauser). That’s right, folks. Paul Mauser was designing 7mm cartridges and rifles a good 75 years or so before 7mm was the cool caliber to have.Everything old is new again, eh? The original loading of for the 7mm Mauser was a 173 grain full metal jacket round nose bullet moving at about 2,300 fps. This may not sound too impressive today, but in the late 19th century, it was the bee’s knees. Renowned hunter W.D.M Bellkilled 1,011 elephants with this loading (all headshots), which illustrates the accuracy and penetration of the round. The 7mm Mauser’s performance was even further improved with the invention of Spitzer bullets.

Modern loadings of the 7 x 57mm Mauser (left) and the .30-06 (right), both inspired by the 8mm Mauser.

Spain contracted for 200,000 of these wonderful rifles from Germany, and soon after began producing additional rifles via license in Spain. They liked the rifle and cartridge so much, they continued to make it until 1943. The newly independent countries of South America saw the appeal of the rifle and cartridge as well. Brazil and Chile both ordered variations of the 1893 type rifle. The Chilean version was known as the Modelo 1895, and sported a few minor differences from the 1893, not the least of which was the addition of a “safety lug” which supposedly prevented the bolt from going through a rifleman’s face in the event of a catastrophic failure due to an overpressure situation.

The 1895 Chilean Mauser, very similar to the 1893 Mauser in most respects

More than a few Modelo 1895s have appeared on the market in recent years, varying in condition from "near-mint" to "dragged through the Chilean highlands behind a mule cart". As I mentioned earlier, the craftsmanship on these rifles is something to be admired. Oil finished walnut stocks, nitre-blued small parts with acceptance marks, gorgeous rust-blued barrel and receiver, and a polished steel bolt left “in the white”. If you were to make a rifle today the way Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken and Ludwig Loewe made them in the 19th century, it would likely cost several thousand dollars.

Near mint examples go for north of $800, but you can get a beater for a couple hundred bucks. I was fortunate enough two years back to find an excellent example for about $350. Mine certainly isn’t a mint, unissued piece, but other than dings and dents in the stock, and finish wear on the buttplate, my rifle is in fantastic shape. The bore is bright and unblemished, the metal finish is intact, and the rifle has all matching serial numbers…with the exception of the cleaning rod. Given the human attention and hand-fitting that went into these rifles, numbering major parts made sense. Mismatching parts like bolts can result in chambering and headspace issues, which aren't good. As for cleaning rods…well, I am unsure why Mauser felt it was necessary to number something like that, but there you go. I'm not so much of a collector that I'll turn my nose up at a mismatched cleaning rod.

My 1895 Chilean Mauser. Thing of beauty.

Shooting the 1895 Mauser is like traveling back in time. The first thing you notice is how long it is. I am about 5’ 9”, and with the butt of the rifle on the ground, as would be if standing at attention with it, the muzzle of the rifle touches my armpit. The barrel alone is 29”. Back in the day, rifle manufacturers felt that very long barrels were needed to get the most performance out of their cartridges. They were mostly right. Longer barrels allowed powder to burn more completely and pressure to be maintained longer, which in turn delivered greater velocity. However, there is a point of diminishing returns, and with improved propellants and cartridge design, super long barrels aren’t needed. Regardless, the 1895 Mauser weighs less than 9 pounds, so though it's long, it's not unwieldy by any stretch of the imagination.

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Unless you're a member of the Lollipop Guild, that is.

﻿The next thing you might notice is the sights. Let’s just say if you have bad eyes, Mauser type rifles may not be for you. The rear sight is a V notch, and the front sight is a ^.This can make precision shooting a bit tough, but remember, that’s not what this rifle was designed for. In addition to the sight picture, the Mauser 1895 is battlesight zeroed at 300 meters. As in, that’s the lowest elevation setting you can sight the rifle in for. This is another reflection of the common wisdom of the time and the way that battles were fought.On the other hand, if you want to shoot at distances greater than 300 meters, no problem: the rear sight flips up 90 degrees and has a slider which goes all the way to a rather optimistic 2,000 meters.﻿

Two thousand meters. Yeah, good luck with that.

The 300 meter zero means that when shooting at 100 yards, you’re going to be hitting 10-12” high. I’ve read that soldiers of the day were trained to aim for the enemy’s belt buckle when shooting at less than 300 meters. This makes sense, given the location of the vitals and the uniforms of the day which would have provided that easy reference point. Since most paper targets don’t wear belts, though, you’ll have to eyeball the hold-under distance when shooting on the range. I also find it just a little humorous that 19th century soldiers were essentially trained to make crotch shots. But I digress.

I handload for every firearm I own, and the 1895 Mauser is no exception. Since these rifles are old friends, I treat mine gently, and feed it only minimum loads using data published in reputable manuals.I have no doubt that it could handle full power loads, but I see no reason to shoot them and put additional wear on an antique rilfe. An added bonus to loading to minimum loads is reduced recoil. The 7mm Mauser is a gentle cartridge anyway, but light loads fired from that 29” barrelare downright pleasant to shoot. According to the books, my current load has a 140 grain FMJBT moving at around 2,200 fps, which is plenty fine for putting holes in paper. And speaking of putting holes in paper, the 1895 does that quite well. Once you figure out the hold-under at 100 yards, you might be surprised what it can do. I’ve shot ~2.5” groups with mine on the bench, and I have a feeling it could do a bit better with the right shooter/powder/bullet combination. Not bad for a 117 year old rifle.

You can see how it printed high, in the 8 ring at 100 yards.

One really cool thing about the 1895 Mauser is that almost all of them were made before 1899. This means, according to our friends at the BATF, that it’s not a technically a firearm (don’t tell the soldiers who were at San Juan Hill, they might not appreciate that). But yes, it’s true. Guns made before this arbitrary date are considered to be “antiques”, not regulated firearms, and therefore you don’t have to fill out any paperwork to own one. In fact, you can mail order one like you would anything else, and it will be shipped straight to your door. Another possible upside to this is that it is the last gun an overzealous government would ever try to confiscate, on account of they don't really consider it a firearm. Just a thought.

When I pick up my 1895 Mauser, I think of all the hands it’s passed through in its 117 years, from the German craftsmen who manufactured it at the Ludwig Loewe factory in Berlin, to the Chilean soldiers who were issued it, and all the things it has seen and done in its travels. “If it could talk” is something you hear people say about old things, and I think it applies here. This rifle has been halfway around the world in a hundred years and has wound up in my hands. It’s a piece of living history that functions just as well today as it did the day it was uncrated in Chile. Call me a romantic, but there’s something about that you just can’t get with one of those ubiquitous, plastic, black guns you see at every shop you walk into. Thanks for that, Paul Mauser.

My dad gave me a 1896 Swedish Mauser as a kickstarter when I got into collecting old military rifles. Beautiful wood and steel, well balanced, and the 6.5x55 is quite the cartridge. This article really spoke to me, as I love this kind of stuff. I have an AR, but for enjoyable shooting, I'll take my old Eddystone any day.

thanks. this was the best article I have found. easy to read informative and it kept my interest. I bought my first mauser just a few months back now I am getting hooked. I have bought two more since then and there's no end in sight. thanks this was a great read.

Very nice writeup. I thoroughly enjoy my Chilean Mauser and find it a very nice shooter. Thanks for your article it will be recommended to friends of mine who also share a passion for the old Mausers...

I just ran across your blog while researching my "new" 1895 7mm Chilean Mauser. It is very informative and entertaining and gave me some info I hadn't heard before. This Mauser goes nicely with my 1937 and 1938 Mosin Nagants.

I also have an AR15, and altho I haven't had the opportunity to shoot the Mauser yet, I know how much fun I have on the range with the Mosin! Can't wait to try out the Mauser.

Would you happen to know if there is any way to 'trace' a rifle's history? Has this been used in a war? Where has it been in the last 118 years? This would be something fascinating to find out.

Hello. There may be records from Ludwig Loewe (somewhere?) that can tell you when your rifle shipped and to where, but anything beyond that is dicey. My Chilean history is sketchy, but it's possible your rifle was involved in a border skirmish or two with Argentina or even Bolivia, as relations between those countries were not the best in the late 19th century/early 20th century. You may want to consider contacting the Chilean Embassy to see if they have any records on when your rifle was issued and what unit it served in. Again, that's a long shot, but you never know. Enjoy your new rifle. :)

It's generally acknowledged that anything other than a cleaning of metal and wood will adversely affect collector value. Some will even say that cleaning the wood with steel wool and boiled linseed oil is "refinishing" of sorts, and that every dent, scratch, etc. is a piece of history and should be preserved. I'm not quite that severe, but I'm pretty close. That being said, if you have a beater, non-matching 1895, and you want to restore it to like-new condition, you probably aren't going to hurt its value a whole lot. Purists and collectors are going to turn up their noses at your re-finished rifle, and some may even chastise you for "ruining a piece of history", but at the end of the day it's your rifle and if you want to restore it, I say go ahead. One does need to factor in the money toward a quality restoration and decide that if that $200 rifle is really worth spending $300-$400 on to make it look pretty again. Excellent Plus to "barely used" examples of 1895 Mausers are hard to find, and command prices of $800-$1200 when you do see them, so keep that in mind as well. Then again, you probably don't want to shoot a $1200 rifle, so it's really about what you're after: a collectible, a historically accurate shooter, or a pretty shooter. I would suggest that if you do go for a refinish job, that you make it as historically accurate as possible (which again, gets expensive).

My only Mauser is an !891 Argentine carbine. This was produced by Loewe with a 17.5 inch barrel fully stocked with an end cap. With the rear sight at the lowest elevation the rifle is spot on at a hundred yards.A source described the gun as a,"potent little package".

I LOVE my 1893 Mauser, it is the most treasured rifle in my collection. I purchased it when I was about 30 years old (I'm 70 now) for $80. It is immaculate with all matching LOW serial numbers, lacking only the cleaning rod for absolute authenticity. The serial numbers, incredibly, all end in "93" ! I purchased the rifle from the son of the (then) San Francisco Dutch consul, FWIW.

Since the purchase, the old beauty has experienced only handloads with various powders and bullets from 100 grain spire match hollow points to 170 grain boat-tails. When my eyesight was good (in my mid thirties) and with the iron sights well blackened with soot, this rifle would consistently produce three-shot groups under two inches at 100 yards from the bench. (My wife could do even better but her eyes were 12 years younger than mine.)

Thanks for the neat commentary ! I see a lot of Moisin-Nagants around these days but none are close to the quality and ACCURACY of my Lowe-produced '93. (And the 7 x 57 cartridge is one of my favorites :)

I'm probably the youngest here(when I post 19 days till I'm 18) . I just got my Chilean Mauser today as a early 18th birthday present. Around a year ago I sold my 91/30 to a good friend of mine for $200. Made a $100 profit but still thought it was one of the mistake I've made so far in my life. So I was looking for a another one or something like it. So when went to the same gun shop that I got my 91/30 I saw this old rifle in the back corner. Price tag $200. So I asked one of the staff if I could see it. When I got my hands on the rife I saw Mauser on it. In my life so far I shot everything from a single shot .22 to a matching number MG-34 so I've seen and shot Mauser rifles before, so I knew it wasn't junk. Was a little heavy but nothing I wasn't used to, tight but smooth bolt, but it's a Mauser so that wasn't surprising, and bore was a little dirty but all the rifling was there so I decided to take a chance on it. Got the rifle and 20 rounds to test it out and was and wasn't surprised at the same time how well it shot. I knew after I shot that first shot that my regret for selling my 91/30 was gone and that I will enjoy this rifle for probably the next 70 years. Best birthday present ever and this is beating my Walther p1 and converted Saiga iz-132.

I have a 7mm MAUSER CHULENO MODELO 1895DEUTSCHE WAFFEN -UNDMUNITIIONSSFABRIKEN. BERLIN L3291it shoots about 12" +- high at 50 yd like you state. This rifle has a shortened barrel and the stock was replaced with a BOYDE stock. I have no money tied up in this rifle, is this rifle worth putting a scope on for deer hunting. oggie

Sounds like it has already been sporterized to a degree, so there's no historical value lost if you do more. So long as the bore and stock are sound, it should serve well as a deer rifle. Of course, you'll have to pay a decent gunsmith to drill and tap the receiver for a scope, and bend the bolt handle down. I don't think that's worth it GI in the cost. You can get a very capable new hunting rifle for around $375, complete with scope if you look. Your call.

Hey Jim, when my grandfather passes away I will be inheriting a 1895 Spanish Mauser cavalry carbine. It is a.308 bolt action and has a 5 round capacity built in magazine. I have fired 10 rounds through it in the past. Are you able to provide me a link on any information on this rifle such as history and et cetera? Also, is it possible to get a scope mounted to it?

The cavalry carbines are neat rifles and will bark a great deal. I would have it inspected by a competent gun smith before shooting it more. The .308s were conversions done in Chile via boring out the barrel (not a problem) and using a chamber insert to change from 7mm Mauser to .308 (potential problem). Additionally, there's the higher pressures of .308 to consider on a bolt that really wasn't designed for them. You're better off mounting it on the wall than shooting it in my opinion.

i have a 1927 manufactured m93. I and everyone that's shot it loves it. my first rifle I was given to own, by my Presidents 100 grandfather no less. it may be sporterized with unmatching numbers but it hasn't failed me and it has a certain character to it that cant be described beyond the awe it inspires by its age and the history it holds. now if only Hawaii would bring in boxes that don't cost $50 apiece

I was given a Mauser said to be manufactured in 1893 # M 5157 . Took it to a gun smith he checked the bore. he said it looks good go shoot it . Is this also 7x57mm . Does not look great , but would this also be in the 600 to 1,200 dollar range .

I have a 1895 Chilean in excellent condition that I bought in 1970 for $50. It was in excellent condition and never fired until I bought it. Since then I've fired a couple of boxes of ammo through it while sighting it in. I've mounted a scout scope to it but would like to buy a bent bolt so that I can mount a traditional scope. Do you know of anyone that can sell me a bent bolt? Thank you.

Well written article,sir.I own 2 of these beauties & you are correct about the quality of these rifles. They are built as well if not better then any sporting guns made today. The German craftsmen who built these took a lot of pride in their trade. I would recommend any of the early Mausers built in Germany as an addition to any collection. they are also great shooting pieces.

I bought my '95 for 40 buck from a gun shop in Torrance ca in1966....is NRA perfect, all matching S/Ns and even on the cleaning rod (ser no's even onall pieces of the wood...only fired once and killed a 4 point buck in Utah.....buddies said it was too nice to hunt with....story at gun store said he bought crates of these guns from the Cadet armory and had never been issued????? My favorite gun! jim lyman

Hi there;I own a Chilean Mauser 1895, It has been hanging on my wall for about 18 years already and never shot it, until now that somehow I want to test the beast. I guess I will be at the range in a month or so... I was born in Chile, so to me, it has double the history. Many of my friends and family while serving the country, used these rifles as part of training. Just wanted to share this piece of history with you.

About Me

I am an Army vet whose interest in firearms was kindled at an early age. My father got me started shooting with a Rossi .22 pump when I was five, and decades later (Wow, decades? How did that happen?) I still have a passion for things that go BOOM. My main interests these days are collecting and shooting military and historical firearms. The purpose of this blog is to provide me a way to share that passion. I hope you enjoy it.